She walked into an asylum on purpose and the world couldn’t ignore what she found. We’re joined by award-winning Canadian playwright Hannah Moscovitch to talk about 10 Days in a Madhouse, her opera with composer Rene Orth, and the real investigative journalism of Nellie Bly, who pretended to be “mad” to expose the brutal conditions inside a women’s institution in 19th-century New York.

We start with Hannah’s route from actor training at the National Theatre School to a life built around making new work, then follow her jump into opera through Tapestry Opera’s LIBLAB. She explains why opera voices feel physical in the room to her and how contemporary opera lets a writer lean into poetry, stylization and emotional intensity. If you’re curious about how a libretto is written, how composers and librettists collaborate, or why music can deliver meaning faster than words, her craft talk is full of usable insight.

From there, we dig into the story engine of 10 Days in a Madhouse: what Bly discovered and how the system swept up women for reasons that had nothing to do with mental health. Hannah also shares a sharp opera-writing principle she lives by, the creative power of a women’s chorus, and what it takes to make a bold structure like reverse chronology land with an audience.

If this conversation sparks something for you, subscribe to Opera Glasses, share the episode with an opera-curious friend, and leave us a review so more listeners can find the show. What’s a real-life story you think deserves the opera treatment?

All episodes of The Opera Glasses podcast are hosted by the editor of Opera Canada, currently Michael Jones after Elizabeth Bowman hosted seasons 1 and 2. Follow Opera Canada on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Visit OperaCanada.ca for all of your Canadian Opera news and reviews.